What’s happening:

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has revealed a booklet of religious decrees from Hamas in Khan Younis, which sanctions violence against all Jewish individuals, irrespective of age or gender. The document was signed by the late Ahmad Bahar, chairman of the Shura Council.

Why it matters:

This booklet serves as concrete evidence that counters Hamas’s international assertions of not targeting non-combatants. While Hamas claims to avoid harming innocents, the content of the booklet exposed by the IDF suggests a starkly different policy, promoting attacks on civilians.

Context:

Found within the booklet are various articles and religious edicts guiding terrorists in their conduct with enemies and hostages and permitting the killing of Israelis including men, women, elderly and children, as per the IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

Between the lines:

Recently Hamas projected a message contrasting the newly found documents, alleging their operations do not aim to harm innocent civilians and asserting an unwillingness to target non-combatants, which directly conflicts with IDF findings.

Bottom line:

The discovery of these religious rulings hardly mediates an already complex conflict. Instead, it furthers the challenging narrative concerning violent extremism during ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas.

This story was first published on ynetnews.com.